Dick Cepek
Encyclopedia
Dick Cepek was an American Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame
r. He is known for starting a 4x4 offroad tire and parts supplier in 1963. Dick Cepek Tires was one of the first off-road enterprises.
. His family moved to Columbus, Ohio
, where his father worked in the maintenance department at a trucking company. Cepek served in the United States Navy
in the 1950s. He married Dorothy Mudd in 1954 while he was working for Westinghouse Electric.
. In 1958 he purchased a Land Rover
, which he used to explore the California desert. He began riding on group excursions into the desert. While on these excursions, he saw the need for wider more durable tires for off-roading
. He had Armstrong Rubber build him wider tires for his Land Cruiser. Soon other group members wanted wider tires for their vehicles too. He saw the need for the larger off-roading community to purchase tires, so he had Armstrong Rubber built enough tires to fill his one and a half car garage. He took out an advertisement in Sunset magazine. In 1960 he took his wife Dorothy to a for sale barber shop
in South Gate. He asked the owner if she would mind if he would rent the space for his tire business. She agreed, and he moved in. He quickly outgrew the space. After being in business for two years, he was able to quit at Westinghouse to dedicate himself full-time to the tire business. He moved the business to an old fire hall down the street. He began selling other off-roading equipment, from shock absorber
s and suspensions
to camping
gear. The business grew to three warehouses and 15 stores, plus a catalog
business.
. In 1966 he joined Ed Pearlman
and two other teams to set a new record time for a four wheeled vehicle to cross the Baja California peninsula
. Pearlman and Cepek crossed the desert in 56 hours, second place behind Claude Dozier and Ed Orr's 41 hours and 45 minutes. Drino Miller and John Lawlor
completed the trek in 66 hours. During the crossing, Pearlman and Cepek discussed creating an organization. After the race, Pearlman held a meeting at his house, and created the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA). NORRA organized the original Baja 1000
races. Cepek competed in the first three races. He also sponsored racers, including fellow Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees Larry Minor, Rod Hall
and Drino Miller.
.
Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame
The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame is located inside the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.-History:In 1966, Ed Pearlman cofounded the first exclusively off-road racing organization, called the National Off-Road Racing Association...
r. He is known for starting a 4x4 offroad tire and parts supplier in 1963. Dick Cepek Tires was one of the first off-road enterprises.
Background
Cepek was born in Hillsboro, WisconsinHillsboro, Wisconsin
Hillsboro is a city in Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,302 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the Town of Hillsboro...
. His family moved to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, where his father worked in the maintenance department at a trucking company. Cepek served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in the 1950s. He married Dorothy Mudd in 1954 while he was working for Westinghouse Electric.
Off-roading company
Soon after marriage he was transferred to South Gate, CaliforniaSouth Gate, California
South Gate is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The sixteenth largest city in Los Angeles County, it encompasses . South Gate is located just southeast of downtown Los Angeles It is part of the Gateway Cities region of southeastern Los Angeles County...
. In 1958 he purchased a Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
, which he used to explore the California desert. He began riding on group excursions into the desert. While on these excursions, he saw the need for wider more durable tires for off-roading
Off-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
. He had Armstrong Rubber build him wider tires for his Land Cruiser. Soon other group members wanted wider tires for their vehicles too. He saw the need for the larger off-roading community to purchase tires, so he had Armstrong Rubber built enough tires to fill his one and a half car garage. He took out an advertisement in Sunset magazine. In 1960 he took his wife Dorothy to a for sale barber shop
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
in South Gate. He asked the owner if she would mind if he would rent the space for his tire business. She agreed, and he moved in. He quickly outgrew the space. After being in business for two years, he was able to quit at Westinghouse to dedicate himself full-time to the tire business. He moved the business to an old fire hall down the street. He began selling other off-roading equipment, from shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
s and suspensions
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
to camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
gear. The business grew to three warehouses and 15 stores, plus a catalog
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
business.
Influence to off-road racing
Cepek was influential in the growth of organized off-road racingOff-road racing
Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments.-North America:...
. In 1966 he joined Ed Pearlman
Ed Pearlman
Ed Pearlman is a cofounder of the National Off-Road Racing Association , the first exclusively off-road racing organization, and its first president. The inaugurating event of NORRA was "Mexican 1000 Rally", which has become the Baja 1000...
and two other teams to set a new record time for a four wheeled vehicle to cross the Baja California peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
. Pearlman and Cepek crossed the desert in 56 hours, second place behind Claude Dozier and Ed Orr's 41 hours and 45 minutes. Drino Miller and John Lawlor
John Lawlor
John Lawlor is an American actor. His best known roles are Supervisor Leonard Marsh on the television series Phyllis from 1976–1977, and later of Headmaster Steven Bradley on the television series The Facts of Life from 1979 to 1980....
completed the trek in 66 hours. During the crossing, Pearlman and Cepek discussed creating an organization. After the race, Pearlman held a meeting at his house, and created the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA). NORRA organized the original Baja 1000
Baja 1000
SCORE Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in November. The Baja 1000 is part of the SCORE Championship Desert Racing Series that include the Baja 500, San Felipe 250 and the new San Felipe Challenge of Champions in place of the Primm 300 which had...
races. Cepek competed in the first three races. He also sponsored racers, including fellow Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees Larry Minor, Rod Hall
Rod Hall
Roderick Thomas Berringer Hall , literary agent who represented several successful British writers.Having worked for London agency A.P...
and Drino Miller.
Death
Cepek died in 1983. Cepek tires was run by his son Tom until 2000 when it was sold to Mickey Thompson Performance TiresMickey Thompson
Marion Lee "Mickey" Thompson was an American off-road racing legend. He won many championships as a racer, and later formed sanctioning bodies SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group . He also raced in dragsters and land speed record automobiles.Thompson was born in Alhambra,...
.